Playing Pretend
by If I Knew
Summary: Damon Salvatore left Mystic Falls at age eighteen, vowing never to return. At twenty four he finds himself back in Mystic Falls, what made him return and what or who is going to make the return a happy one? Read and find out. AU. R
1. Chapter 1

_**Playing Pretend**_

Disclaimer - Vampire Diaries, the TV show/books do not belong to me, at all.

* * *

Damon Salvatore thought he had left the small town of Mystic Falls behind for good. At eighteen he had left the town to attend college in New York and he only returned at Christmas and on his Mother's birthday. Upon graduating from college his Father had requested that he return to Mystic Falls and join the family company. The Salvatore's were a big deal in Mystic Falls you see but Damon denied the request. He didn't want to live in a small town such as Mystic Falls. He wanted to stay in New York, he had everything going for him in New York and all he had in Mystic Falls was his disapproving Father and a job with the family business.

Two and a half short years after graduating from college Damon Salvatore was closing the door of his Camaro and sighing. This wasn't what he had planned for his life but here he was, returning to his home town after promising himself he would never do it. The reason for his return though was strapped into a car seat in the back of his car. Hadley Salvatore. His daughter, yes, Damon Salvatore had a daughter who was currently eight months old and she was the sole reason for his return to the Falls.

Hadley's Mother, Katherine had been the girl he'd dated from college. They were crazy about each other, completely in love but their relationship was at time dysfunctional, despite that Damon loved her, really he did but Katherine was an orphan, an only child and due to an almighty argument between herself and Damon she'd taken off in her car, drunk and drove straight off of the bridge.

After Katherine's death Damon had tried to make it work in New York but after two weeks he'd realised that it just couldn't. Even hiring a full time Nanny wasn't going to work for him because Hadley deserved better than that, she'd already lost her Mother it wouldn't have been fair of him to replace her with Nanny upon Nanny whilst he worked most of the day away.

It was during a heartfelt conversation with his Mother four weeks ago that Damon decided a return to Mystic Falls would be best. Odette Salvatore, Damon's Mother and the only constant woman in his life during his twenty four years. He loved that woman more than anything else on the planet, she kept him sane during his teenage years and having to put up with his Mother and she was the only reason he ever returned to Mystic Falls. Odette had suggested that Damon return because she was in Mystic Falls, the little girl's paternal grandmother and who better to look after her than her grandmother? She had only seen the little girl once since she'd been born. The morning after his conversation with Odette Damon had handed in his resignation and told them he would be leaving just as soon as he could put the wheels in motion.

Odette deserved a medal, that's what Damon decided upon pulling up outside the house his Mother had helped him buy whilst he was in New York. He hadn't wanted to move into the Salvatore mansion. Moving in there, even temporarily until he was able to find his own place would have meant he would have to be faced with his Father day in and day out. He didn't want that and his Mother knowing him that well hadn't even suggested it, straight away she'd told him she would find him somewhere that he and Hadley could call home. She had out done herself, Damon had only seen pictures of the house he had bought for himself and his daughter but now, seeing it up close and personal he was blown away. It was an old boarding house whose owner had recently passed and her children had been looking for a quick sale. It was a steal, and Damon was sure that had something to do with his Mother's negotiating skills, the woman was a tiger when she wanted to be. It was the French blood in her.

"Damon, my boy!" Damon heard the voice of his Mother and looked up to see her running towards him, arms outstretched. She didn't miss a beat as she pulled him into her arms and held onto him as if she'd let go and he'd disappear "It's so good to have you home my baby" she smiled at him when she pulled away and cupped his face "now, where's that granddaughter of mine?"

Damon grinned at his Mother and pushed the seat forward in his car, he heard his Mother tut and he rolled his eyes. He knew what that was for, his car. He'd known as he was driving from New York that she'd have something to say about how his car was unsuitable for a baby and she was right but it was his car, the car seat could fit in the back and so he'd make do because the car was his other baby and it was going nowhere.

"Don't complain about my car Ma" Damon reappeared from inside the car cradling a sleepy little girl against his chest. Odette's eyes lit up "Give her to me, give her to me" she repeated until Damon was able to pass his daughter to his Mother.

"My precious baby" Damon stood with his head tilted slightly to the right and watched his Mother with his little girl. He still wasn't completely happy about being home, Mystic Falls wasn't a place he wanted to be but he was now single Father and what better place to bring up his little girl than in his home town surrounded by his family? Especially as Katherine had none "She's so big" Odette cooed suddenly Damon felt a sharp pain on his left shoulder, his Mother slapped "It's been too long Damon!"

"I know Ma" he admitted and he at least had to decency to look sheepish "But you've got her now, everyday"

"I wish it was under better circumstances"

Damon took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. Katherine had only died six short weeks ago and everyone kept expecting him to break but… The thing was, the reason he wasn't breaking was that they were barely a couple before she had died. They were together, at the end mostly for Hadley, he'd been sleeping with other people as had Katherine. It worked for them; he wasn't as in love with her as he had been at college. Yes, he loved her and he missed her but he wasn't going to break the way everyone was expecting him too.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine Mom" Damon was wearing his best 'I'm being serious here look' but Odette wasn't buying into it "You lost your girlfriend Damon, why she wasn't your wife we won't get into but anyway, you lost her and now you have a baby, it's only been six weeks, you are allowed to be upset"

"Are you going to show me this house?" Damon changed the subject as quickly as he could. He did not want to get into this, not with her, not with his Mother. How could he tell her he wasn't missing her as much as he should?

"The removal men dropped all of your things off yesterday" Odette started explaining what had happened as she and Damon made their way towards the front door, Odette cradling her granddaughter. "You didn't have much"

"I travel light, I had everything I needed in that van, plus, you had fun furnishing this place, didn't you?"

"You know I did" Odette grinned at her son, if it was something his Mother was good at it was spending money and furnishing houses. In fact she was an interior designer and a good one at that. Damon was lucky enough to get her services for free.

"I've had Stefan and his friends helping me for the past week, they've been great"

"Stefan? Where is my baby brother?"

"He's inside with one of his friends darling, come, come" Odette ushered Damon inside the boarding house and closed the door behind them. Damon allowed his eyes to roam the house, he whistled, impressed by the interior of the house. It was beyond what he was expecting, it was magnificent.

"Damon Salvatore" at the sound of his name from a unknown voice Damon whipped around quickly and was faced with a somewhat familiar face grinning back at him. It took him a minute but he finally realised just who it was "Tyler Lockwood?" Damon laughed out loud as he approached the younger man "You've gotten… big"

Tyler smirked at his friends big brother, he'd always liked Damon "I couldn't stay a gangly twig forever could I?"

"As long as you've not been hitting the steroids" they shook hands as Damon spoke and Tyler was shaking his head "Just hitting the gym man, promise"

"Shame my brother didn't think about that"

"Hey!" Stefan came into sight "I hit the gym too, I'm just not into looking like I've swallowed the gym" Stefan stopped in front of his brother "Anyway, you're one to talk, skinny much?"

Damon rolled his eyes "All muscle" he promised his little brother before pulling him into a hug "Little brother, miss me?"

"I saw you three months ago"

Damon shrugged "Still, you've missed me but I'm here now, you can show me everything that Mystic Falls has to offer"

Tyler scoffed "That's not much I'm afraid, you know that"

"I do" Damon agreed and he watched as Stefan moved towards their Mother and lifted the little girl from his Mother's arms. "She doesn't look like you, lucky kid"

"Hey, if she grows up to be half as good looking as her Dad, the kids lucky"

"You mean her uncle right?" Stefan replied, he was talking Hadley as he spoke to his brother, she was awake now and had been quiet the whole time, she smiled up at Stefan "she remembers me" he cooed with a grin.

"Probably wind" Damon concluded.

* * *

Three hours later and Damon was still getting to know his new house. His Mother was still around, as was Stefan but Tyler had left to give the family some space. Damon had taking his time in walking around the grounds of the boarding house and checking out the bedrooms. It turned out he had seven bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, two reception rooms, dining room and a massive kitchen. He hadn't even taken the time to read the description his Mother had sent him because he trusted her judgement but now, now he was wondering if the house would be far too big for just him and Hadley.

"Mom isn't this place a little…"

"A little what darling?" she asked as he put the finishing touches to whatever it was that she was preparing for their dinner "…big?" he finished.

"Nonsense" Odette rubbished his idea with a wave of her hand "It's homely"

"It has seven bedrooms"

"Our family home has fifteen"

Damon had to give her that, she had a point there. The family home did have fifteen and there had always only been just him and Stefan "But it's just me and Hadley"

Odette shrugged her shoulders "It's a lovely house Damon, you like it don't you?"

"Of course"

"Then please stop complaining, you're in danger of sounding like your Father" Odette eyed him as she spoke and smiled as his eyes widened at the comparison. She knew how her son didn't want to be anything like his Father but she knew his Father better than he did. He may have been tough with Damon growing up but that hadn't been the man she had fallen in love with, oh no, that man had been kind, sweet and caring. She'd fallen for him within minutes of meeting him.

"I'll never complain in my life"

Odette smiled and kissed her son on the cheek "You remember everything I taught you right?" She was of course referring to the numerous times she had taught him to cook whilst growing up. "Of course, I had to keep myself fed during the past six years Mother!" he pushed her out of the way with his hip "Let the master show you how it is done"

Odette stood back and allowed her son to show her what he could do and, twenty minutes later upon tasting what he had finished she was pleasantly surprised "Wow, I'm obviously a good teacher"

"The best" he assured her with a kiss on her cheek. Damon observed his Mother as she checked her watch "Have you got to be somewhere?"

"No, just expecting your Father"

"He's not coming here?" Damon begged already knowing what his Mother's answer would be "Of course he is, we're having a family dinner"

Damon sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, Odette took a deep breath "Damon, you're going to be working with him, you're going to have to be in the same room as him. I know the two of you didn't get along but you're no longer eighteen, can we forget about the past and start anew please?"

Damon looked to be less than thrilled by the idea "For me?" his Mother pushed and Damon knew he had to agree because this was his Mother and he couldn't refuse her anything, he never could.

"Okay" he agreed with a nod "I'll go get Hadley from her sleep" Hadley had fallen asleep again not long after being fed and Damon had placed her into her new room. His Mother had designed it, it was beautiful, and the most amazing room for a baby he had ever seen. She had wanted to do their place in New York before Hadley had been born but he'd told her it wasn't worth it, he was feeling back now because Katherine would have loved what his Mother had done with the room. It was perfect.

With Hadley in his arms Damon looked out of the window just in time to see his Father's car pull up in the drive and park alongside his. He took a deep breath. This was it. He was home. He was back in the place he'd swore to himself he would never return to. There was nothing he could do about it now, he wasn't there for himself he was there for his daughter and no matter what he had to start creating a life for himself.

"Let's go see your granddad Hadley, you'll love him" Damon kissed his daughter's head as he carried her out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

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**AN - Reviews of this chapter would be very good, if I don't get any reviews it means people don't like my story and I won't write anymore however if you do like it and you review that would be amazing because then it would encourage me to continue writing. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you. **


	2. Chapter 2

_**Playing Pretend**_

Disclaimer - Vampire Diaries, the TV show/books do not belong to me, at all.

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Odette Salvatore loved her granddaughter and she loved her sons. They were the apple of her eye and having Damon and Hadley back in Mystic Falls had made her life complete once again. Having Damon so far away for so long always left a whole in her heart and although she wished he were back under different circumstances she couldn't deny that that she was over the moon about having them back.

Using the key that she had cut for herself before her sons arrival in Mystic Falls Odette let herself into the boarding house. The TV could be heard filtering out from the living room and she could hear her sons soft voice as he spoke to his daughter. It brought a smile to Odette's face as she listened to him. When he was a boy Damon had never been one for feelings or for letting people in but just by listening to him you could tell how much he loved his little girl and Odette was under no illusion as to why Damon was back in Mystic Falls, it was for her, for Hadley and only for Hadley.

"Ah, Grandma!" Damon's face lit up as soon as his eyes fell upon his Mother, "look Hadley, it's our favourite person is here" he lifted his daughter from her seat and cradled her in his arms "Hey Ma" he kissed his Mother on the cheek and smiled at her "We weren't expecting you today"

Damon had been back in Mystic Falls for two days and he'd hadn't left the boarding house yet. He hadn't had any need to, his Mother had packed his house with all the food he would need and the garden was big enough to walk around and, if Damon was honest, he hadn't felt like walking around the small town reminiscing about how much he had hated it just six short years ago.

"Your brother told me you haven't been out yet, is that true?" Damon shrugged, avoiding making eye contact with his Mother knowing she would be able to read him "Coffee?"

"Stop trying to avoiding the question Damon" Odette shrugged out of her jacket and placed it over the bar stool by the breakfast bar and lifted her granddaughter into her arms, hugging her "I've missed you baby" she cooed and it allowed for Damon to try and think about a good excuse as to why he hadn't ventured out into town to socialise with the townsfolk.

"Where you going?" Damon turned with his coffee in hand just in time to see the back of his Mother disappearing out the kitchen door and into the hallway. "I'm dressing my granddaughter because we're going out into town, I'm going to show you both off"

"Urgh!" Damon groaned and Odette smiled to herself as she heart what she assumed to be Damon's head banging against the kitchen counter.

xxx

An hour later Damon found himself sitting outside the Mystic Grill with his Mother. It hadn't changed much in the years since he'd been gone. It had had a little makeover but it was still the same, the place he'd spent many, many hours of his teenage years chatting up as many girls as he could and that was a lot of girls. It was safe to say that during those years, from thirteen to eighteen he had broken more than his fair share of teenage hearts, thinking back on it he was a little ashamed but he was young, he didn't know better and this was his excuse.

"Little girls need fresh air Damon" his Mother spoke as she cooed over the little girl in her pram, Damon was sure this was all just a ploy for his Mother to show his daughter off to all the other women in the town but he'd let her have her moment, he owed her that much and he'd just sit there looking pretty and smiling until it was over.

"Damon Salvatore" at the sound of his name Damon whipped around to come face to face with a woman in her late thirties, he recognised her, it was Miranda Gilbert, a friend of his Mothers. "Odette! He's gotten so big" Damon rolled his eyes as the two women spoke about him as if he wasn't there. He was a man, he didn't need to women talking about him like he was a child whilst he was stood there "Is this the baby?" Miranda made a beeline for the pram "Can I?" before Damon could answer however Odette was already answering for him "Of course"

'_Of course' _Damon mimicked silently but he was happy if his Mother and Daughter were happy "Join us Miranda, you can talk some sense into Damon, tell him how important it is for little girls to have fresh air"

"So if she'd been a boy she wouldn't need fresh air then Ma?" Damon asked, unable to keep the smirk from his face. "Oh Damon" Odette shook her head at her son. "I'm going inside to get something to eat" Damon got to his feet and left the two women alone, no doubt to talk about him and is Daughter.

"How is he doing?" Miranda asked as she perched the little girl on her lap "She's beautiful Odette"

"She has good genes and Damon? He seems to be doing okay, he's not best pleased about being back in town after so long and working for his Father but he knows its for the best. I can help him with Hadley and he can have a life, move on, find someone else. He couldn't bring her up alone where he was, hiring a string of Nannies throughout her life. He has a job here, a beautiful house, he'll come around"

"So you'll be on Grandma duty whilst Damon works then?"

"Mostly" Odette answered for her "But I still have my business to run which is why I'm glad to see you here today"

"Oh yeah?"

"Is Elena still planning on taking a year old between studies? Getting a job, saving?"

"Yes" Miranda rolled her yes "We can't talk her out of it"

"How would she like to be a part time babysitter? We'd pay her well and it would still give her lots of free time"

"I thought you didn't want him hiring a Nanny? Isn't that why he's back here?" Miranda was trying to understand her friends point of view. "It's Elena, she's like family, you all are and it won't be as much as a Nanny, just when I can't be around we have some function we all have to attend?"

"I'll ask her" Miranda agreed.

"Ask who what?" Damon had only managed to catch the end of their conversation "Elena"

"Your daughter? Stefan's friend?" Damon looked between the two women "What are we asking her?"

"If she wants to be Hadley's babysitter during her year out, it'll be good for her, you and us. We've known the Gilbert's forever, your okay with it, aren't you?"

Elena Gilbert. Damon could remember her from when he was younger. She had always been a tomboy, running around with her long hair tied back in jeans and a sweatshirt, there was no doubting that probably hadn't changed, not much in this town ever did change. "Sure, whatever"

* * *

It was past six pm at night before Damon was able to settle himself down on the sofa in the main room, glass of his favourite Bourbon in hand. He had just switched on the radio when a knock at the door disturbed his peace. With a groan his head fell back onto the back of the sofa, he was going to ignore it. Hadley had just gone to sleep, his Mother had left him not twenty minutes ago, he didn't want company. He wanted to be left alone, closing his eyes he resigned himself to ignoring the knocking.

Until it continued. Not only did it continue the volume of the knocking increased. Whoever it was had a death wish Damon decided as he stalked towards the door like a man possessed.

"What the hell-" Damon's threat died on his lips when his eyes landed upon his guest and a grin spread slowly over his face. He blinked, once, twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Nope, still there.

"Gonna invite me in?" came the drawl accompanied with a smirk.

Damon stepped aside and allowed his visitor to cross the threshold, not missing the massive black duffel bag which was currently swung over the shoulder of said guest.

"What are you doing here Ric?" Damon closed his front door and turned to his best friend of six years, he'd missed this guy. Alaric Saltzman, twenty eight, divorcee and Damon Salvatore's life line and best friend.

"Didn't I tell you my new job is at Mystic Falls high school?"

Damon burst out laughing "You're moving to this godforsaken place? Why?"

"I'm divorced" Ric shrugged "My best friend left me, felt like time for a change, got a spare bedroom in this mansion of yours?"

"Several but your not getting one"

"Why not?" Ric asked as he dropped his bag and walked further into the house, Damon following him. Spotting the glass on the table Ric lifted it to his lips and drank "That was mine"

"I'm sure you've got more, fill her up" he handed the glass to Damon and grinned "Come on, couldn't let you move back to the town you hate on your own could I? What kind of best friend does that?"

"You're not joking right because if you are i'll bury the body somewhere they'll never find it"

"No joke, I'm not with Isabel anymore and I thought I could do with a change, so you got a room?"

"One condition"

"Name it"

"You limit the women, I've got Hadley to think about you know"

"Are you limiting the women?"

Damon smirked "I haven't slept with anyone since I've been here"

"Mummy been hanging around her little boy too much?"

"Something like that"

"I'll keep the women away from Hadley, you know I love that little girl, speaking of, where is she?"

"Upstairs" Ric moved towards the stairs "Asleep, leave her alone, you can see her when she wakes"

"Have you always been this boring?"

"I'm an adult now, didn't you know?"

"Wait till I get you to that bar I saw on the way here, I'll get fun Damon back. All it'll take is a bottle of Bourbon and a blonde"

xxx

Damon had just jumped into the shower when the door bell rang, not wasting his time Alaric headed straight for the door. Opening it he found a pretty brunette around seventeen on the other side.

"Hi, I'm Elena"

Alaric nodded. Elena's eyes widened "You're... not Damon"

"Am I not?" Alaric looked down at himself and chuckled "That's where I've been going wrong with the ladies" he looked up to see that Elena wasn't laughing along with him, just looking at him with her eyebrows raised expectantly "Is Damon here? This is his house right? My Mom hadn't sent me to the wrong boarding house?"

"Come in please, he's in the shower"

Alaric followed Elena into the house "Right through" he directed her and a few minutes later they were sat opposite each other. Silence reigned for a couple of minutes before Ric, being the adult decided it would be best to break the silence and ten minutes later he found himself enjoying Elena's company and found out that she wasn't seventeen as he had thought, she was in fact eighteen but still at school. Still at the school Alaric would be teaching at which meant he had to stop those little thoughts of his from running off.

"Honey, we have company" Alaric called out as he heard Damon descend the stairs and he didn't fail to notice Elena's eyes widen at the use of the term 'honey'. Smirking to himself Alaric got to his feet "What are you-" for the second time that day Damon was speechless. Sitting in his front room was one of the best looking women he had ever laid eyes on. Who the hell was she and why was she in his house? Tilting his head to the side he studied her, she was familiar but he couldn't place her.

"I'm Elena"

"Gilbert?" Damon spat out quickly, his eyes once again widening "You're Elena Gilbert?"

"Last time I checked"

"When was that?" Damon queried, mentally smacking himself for being so stupid. At the side of him Alaric laughed quietly. "My mum said you wanted me to babysit?"

"Yeah"

"You have a baby?"

"We have a baby" Alaric added, smirking. Damon shot him a deadly looked "Yeah, I have a daughter, she's asleep right now though"

Elena nodded. She couldn't believe what was happening. She was stood in the house belonging to her childhood crush who now turned out to be gay and have a kid with his gay lover. When had this happened? Why hadn't Stefan let on that his brother was gay? Was he ashamed? Yes, it was a damn shame that Damon was gay because... Well he was more than easy on the eye and she'd been in love with him at the tender age of twelve but at least, if he was gay then she could at least tell herself that nothing was ever, ever going to happen.

"I can show you her if you want, so you know what she looks like?"

"Oh, I can wait until she's awake but uh... Do you need a babysitter?"

"I do" Damon nodded

"How often?"

Damon shrugged "My Mom will be doing most of it I think so... How about as and when I need you? I'll try go give as much warning as possible?"

"How much you paying me?" Elena smirked

"How much do you want?"

"Twenty five bucks an hour"

Damon barked out a laugh "Doubtful"

"Five"

Elena rolled her eyes "Do I look like your sister to you?"

_Nope _Damon thought to himself "I don't have a sister"

"If you did you'd pay her more than five bucks an hour"

"True" he conceded.

"Fifteen and you get full reign of my house and everything in it, including the pool outback" Damon knew for a fact that the Gilbert's didn't have pool, unless they'd moved but that was doubful.

"Deal" Elena shook his hand "When do I start?"

Damon shrugged "I'll get my Mom to call you"

"Okay, bye" Elena let herself out and forced herself not to turn around and look at the god like creature that was and is Damon Salvatore

As soon as Elena was gone and the front door had closed Alaric couldn't hold back his laugh any longer "I did you a favour"

"What are you talking about?"

"First word jail, second word bait"

Damon rolled his eyes and headed for his drinks table. Elena Gilbert. The girl was hot, who would have thought that the tomboy could turn out to look like that? Not him, well, that taught him not to judge a book by its first cover.

"She thinks your gay you know"

"She's met me, she knows I'm not gay"

Alaric smirked "We'll see"

* * *

A/N - Sorry this has taken so long. I've been super busy with University and work. Hope you enjoy this story.


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